In a thrilling Sunday afternoon clash, the Miami Dolphins’ special teams truly lived up to their name, playing a pivotal role in the team’s 32-26 victory. After a season filled with inconsistency, capped by a tough Thanksgiving loss to Green Bay, Sunday’s performance marked a remarkable turnaround, especially against a formidable Jets squad.
Special teams standout Jason Sanders was a key architect of the victory, nailing four field goals, including a crucial 52-yard game-tier with just 7 seconds remaining in regulation. This clutch kick marked Sanders’ second game-winning or game-tying field goal of the season and the 10th in his career, underscoring his reliability when the stakes are high.
But Sanders’ heroics were made possible by a stunning 45-yard kickoff return from Malik Washington, whose electrifying play was the longest kickoff return for Miami since Jakeem Grant’s similar effort back in 2020. For Washington, this was more than just a standout moment; it was redemption, especially after a Thanksgiving night fumble on a punt return had cast a shadow over his season. Washington made the most of this moment with three returns totaling 95 yards.
Head coach Mike McDaniel couldn’t hide his praise, noting, “Last week did not define him. An absolutely critical return.” With less than a minute left and the Jets up by three, New York’s kicker Anders Carlson misfired a line drive kickoff that Washington fielded brilliantly and raced up the field, setting the stage for Sanders’ late-game brilliance.
“I just had to be a football player,” Washington reflected. “It’s one of those moments where you make a split-decision and you just take it and see what happens next.”
Washington’s eagerness to leave his mark on the game was palpable. “I was hoping they put it in play… I wanted to call my shot on that one and try to take it to see what we could get,” he revealed.
For the Jets, interim coach Jeff Ulbrich admitted the kick was a missed opportunity. The plan was to send it deep into the end zone, forcing the Dolphins to travel the length of the field.
“Yeah, he missed it. We were supposed to kick that out of the end zone, we just missed the kick…
We didn’t cover it well enough.”
Complementing the Dolphins’ standout special teams performance were critical plays by Siran Neal, who registered two tackles immediately after punts, adding to Jake Bailey’s impressive 42.7 net-yard punting average.
In a game where every yard counted, Miami’s special teams didn’t just contribute—they changed the game.